Refrigerating apparatus



March 14, 1944. HORLACHER 2,344,145

REFRIGERATINQ APPARATUS Filed April 29, 1945 INVENTOR. [4 Mae A. 6 04;40/5 refrigerating system with Patented Mar. 14, 1944 2,344,145REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Elmer L. Horlacher, Dayton,

General Motors 5 Claims.

My invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and particularly to arefrigerated food storage cabinet having a refrigerating systemassociated therewith employing an air cooled condenser.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved air coolingarrangement for the condenser of a refrigerating system associated witha refrigerator cabinet.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved arrangement ofa condenser of a respect to an air flue, provided on a cabinet housingthe system, whereby the flue forming means and condenser cooperate topermit cooling of a portion of the condenser by air flowing toward theflue inlet and cooling of another portion of the condenser by airflowing through the flue,

A further and more specific object of my invention is to provide arefrigerator cabinet with I a flue and to arrange the flue forming meansso that a part of it divides or partitions a condenser of arefrigerating system associated with the cabinet into a portion disposedwithin the flue and another portion exteriorly of the flue formingmeans, whereby circulating cooling air is first directed through oneportion of the condenser and thence directed through another portionthereof.

In carrying out the foregoing objects, other objects and advantages inthe structure and in the cooperation of parts of the structure willbecome apparent from the illustration and the following description,wherein a preferred form of the embodiment of the present invention isshown.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a refrigerato'r cabinet having myinvention embodied therein;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the refrigerator cabinetillustrated in Fig. 1 and is taken on the line 2-2 thereof. showing theflue and condenser arrangement of the present in-' vention; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear view of the refrigerator cabinet shown inFigs. 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawing, for illustrating my invention, I have shown inFig. 1 thereof a refrigerating apparatus of the household type includinga cabinet I having walls II forming or enclosing a food storage chamberI2, surrounded by any suitable insulating material I4 (see Fig. 2). Theouter cabinet walls II extend beyond the insulated chamber I2 to form amachine compartment I5 below the chamber. The food cham- Corporation,corporation of Delaware Application April 29, 1943, Serial No. 484,991

Ohio, assignor to Dayton, Ohio, :1

I provide an air inlet for the ber I2 is provided with an access openingnormally closed by a door I6. A door or panel I1 normally closes thefront of compartment I5 and a plate or the like I8 cooperates with theouter cabinet side walls II to close the bottom ofthe machinecompartment. A means such as a'metal member or sheath 2I is spaced fromthe cabinet back wall II by legs 22 to form an air flue 24 extendingvertically along the back of the cabinet. Screwsor the like 23 (see Fig.3) pass through a foot portion of the legs 22 and aie secured to thecabinet back wall to hold the member or sheath 2| in place. The back ofthe mach'ne compartment I5 is open or is provided with an opening andthe lower part 25 of the flue forming means or sheath 2| overlaps theupper portion of the open back of compartment I5 to fiue 24 which inletfaces and is in communication with the interior of compartment I5. Aportion 26 of the flue forming means 2I is bent inwardly towardcompartment I5 to form a bottom wall for the flue and its inlet. Theflue 24 is'thus provided with an intake at a low level and has itsoutlet located adjacent the top of cabinet I 0.

A refrigerating system associated with the rement I5, and a condenser 33all connected by conduits in closed circuit relation. The compressor ofthe motor-compressor unit 32 withdraws evaporated or gaseous refrigerantfrom the evaporator 3|, through conduit 36, compresses the refrigerantand forwards the compressed refrigerant, through conduit 37, into theupper portion of condenser 33. Refrigerant condensed in condenser 33flows, through the liquid refrigerant conduit 38, into the evaporator 3|where it is again evaporated to remove heat from thefood storage chamberI2. Any suitable or conventional thermostatic switch (not shown) may beemployed for starting and stopping the motor of the motor-compressorunit 32.

The cbndenser 33 may be of any conventional type and is herein shown ascomprising a plurality of horizontally extending tubes or conduits 4|connected at their ends to vertically disposed headers 42 (see Fig. 3).The tubes or conduits 4| have a plurality of metal fins 43 disposedvertically thereon in spaced apart relation for aiding in dissipatingheat from denser. that in the'present disclosure, the condenser issecured, by suitable brackets 46, to a base plate 47 upon which therefrigerant in the conan upper portion disposed cooler air from a 2motor-compressor unit 32 is mounted. The base plate 41 is secured to andsupported upon angle iron members 48 extending across the compartment.l5. This mounting of the condenser 33 locates same along the back wallof cabinet In in a position whereby it extends or traversessubstantially the entire opening in compartment IS. The condenser 33 isso positioned and is of such height that the greater portion thereof isdisposed within the flue 24 adjacent its inlet, or, in other words, thelower part 25 of the flue forming means 2|, overlapping the upperportion of the open back wall of compartment l5, also overlaps the upperportion of the condenser 33. Bent-in part 28 of the flue forming means2| abuts against the fins 43 on condenser 33 to maintain the part 25 ofmember 2| spaced from the condenser. The portion of condenser 33 belowthe flue forming means 2| is disposed in the path of air adapted toenter the machine compartment If) in a manner and for the purpose to bepresently described. Thus the overlapping of a greater part of thecondenser 33 by the lower part 25 of the flue forming means 2|partitions the condenser into jacent its inlet and another portiondisposed exteriorly of the flue.

Operation 8! the motor-compressor unit 32 of the refrigerating systemcauses the compressor thereof to deliver hot compressed refrigerant tothe upper portion of condenser 33 and the temperature of this portion ofthe condenser increases above the temperature of the room in which therefrigerator is located. The heat of the upper portion of thermo-syphoncirculation of air to be created in the flue 24. Heat is dissipated fromthe upper portion of condenser 33, by the circulation of air thereover,and rises in the flue 24 and is discharged near the top of therefrigerator cabinet. This movement of warm air in the flue causes lowlevel in the room to be drawn into compartment l and flue 24. The airentering compartment I5 flows substantially in a horizontal directionover the lower portion of the condenser 33. The air upon enteringcompartment l5 flows upwardly and toward the inwardly facing inlet offlue 24. This air upon entering the flue 24 flows over the upper portionof condenser 33 and thence upwardly through the flue. The compressedrefrigerant is partially cooled in the upper portion of condenser thepart of the flue forming means 2|, by air sing thereover and .therefrigerant is further cooled and liquefied by cooler air passing overthe lower or exposed portion of the condenser. The temperature of liquidrefrigerant collecting or accumulating in the lowermost portion ofcondenser 33 is efficiently reduced and substantially cool fullyliquefied refrigerant flows, from the lower portion of one of theheaders 42, by way of conduit 38, toward the evaporator 3| of therefrigerating system.

By the arrangement described and illustrated various advantages areafforded. The location of the outlet of the flue at a point adjacent thetop of the refrigerator cabinet remote from the flue inlet prevents warmair flowing out of the flue from directly affecting the cooler air at alower level in the room which flows into the machine compartment and theair flue. This location of the-flue outlet, a substantial distance abovethe flue inlet, permits the heat of the condenser to induce the naturaldraft or thermosyphon air circulation described. The air circuwithin theflue 24 adcondenser 33 causes a natural draft or z 33, overlapped bylation continues as long as any heat is dissipated from themotor-compressor unit located with the machine compartment and/or thecondenser of the refrigerating system irrespective of whether or not theunit is operating. By overlapping a portion of the condenser with a partof the flue forming means or member so as to dispose the upper portionof the condenser within the flue and its lower portion exteriorlythereof air flowing into the machine compartment and through the flue iscaused to flow several time over or through the condenser and therefrigerating system associated with the refrigerator cabinet isrendered more efficient in operation.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosedconstitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted, as may come within the scope of the claims whichfollow.

-What is claimed is as follows:

1. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet havinga plurality of walls forming a food storage chamber and a machinecompartment therein, a refrigerating system associated with said cabinetincluding an evaporator for cooling the interior of said food chamber, arefrigerant compressing unit within said compartment, a condenser andconduits connecting said evaporator, said unit and said condenser inclosed circuit relation, said machine compartment having an opening inone wall thereof, means forming an air flue along a wall of saidcabinet, said condenser being mounted along the opening in saidcompartment wall, said flue forming means having a part thereofextending over a portion of the opening in said compartment wall andoverlapping a portion of said condenser to provide the flue with an airinlet facing said cempartment and communicating with the interiorthereof, and said part of said flue forming means partitioning saidcondenser into a portion disposed within said flue adjacent the inletthereof and another portion exteriorly of said flue forming means anddisposed in the path of air adapted to enter said compartment throughthe opening in said one wall thereof.

2. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet havinga plurality of walls forming a food storage chamber and a machinecompartment therein, a refrigerating system associated with said cabinetincluding an evaporator for cooling the interior of said food chamber, arefrigerant compressing unit within saidcompartment, a condenser andconduits connecting said evaporator, said unit and said condenser inclosed circuit relation, said machine compartment having an opening inone wall thereof, means forming an air flue along a wall of saidcabinet, said condenser being mounted along the opening in saidcompartment wall, said flue forming means having a part thereofextending over a portion of the opening in said compartment wall andoverlapping a portion of said condenser to provide the fine with an airinlet facing said compartment and communicating with the interiorthereof, said part of said flue forming means partitioning saidcondenser into a portion disposed within said flue adjacent the inletthereof another portion exteriorly of said flue forming means anddisposed in the path of air adapted to enter said compartment throughthe opening in said one wall thereof, and means abutting said condenserand cooperating with said flue forming means for spacing said partthereof from the condenser.

3. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet havinga plurality of walls forming a food storage chamber and a machinecompartment therein below, said food chamber, a refrigerating systemassociated with said cabinet including an evaporator for cooling theinterior or said food chamber, a refrigerant compressing unit withinsaid compartment, a condenser and conduits connecting said evaporator,said unit and said condenser in closed circuit relation, means formingan air flue along the back wall of said cabinet, the back wall of saidmachine compartment being open, said condenser being mounted along theopen back wall of said compartment, said flue forming means having apart thereof extending over a portion of the open back wall of saidcompartment and overlapping a portion of said condenser to provide theflue with an air inlet facing said compartment and communicating withthe interior thereof, and said part of said flue forming meanspartitioning said condenser into an upper portion disposed within saidflue adjacent the inlet thereof and a lower portion exteriorly of saidflue forming means and disposed in the path of air adapted to enter saidcompartment through that portion of said open back wall thereof belowsaid part of said flue forming means.

4. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet havinga plurality of walls forming a food storage chamber and a machinecompartment therein below said food chamber, a refrigerating systemassociated with with an air inlet facing said compartment and saidcabinet including an evaporator for cooling the interior of said foodchamber, a refrigerant compressing unit within said compartment, 8.

condenser and conduits connecting said evapora tor, said unit and saidcondenser in closed circuit relation, means forming an air flue alongthe back wall of said cabinet, the back wall of said machinecompartment'being open, said condenser communicating with the interiorthereof, said part of said flue forming means partitioning saidcondenser into an upper portion disposed within said flue adjacent theinlet thereof and a lower portion exteriorly or said flue forming meansand disposed in the path of air adapted to enter said compartmentthrough that portion of said open back wall thereof below said part ofsaid flue forming means, and means abutting said condenser andcooperating with said flue forming means for spacing said part thereoffrom.

the condenser.

5. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet havinga plurality oi walls forming a food storage chamber and a machinecompartment, a refrigerating system associated with said cabinetincluding an evaporator for cooling the interior of said food chamber, a

refrigerant translating unit within said compartiment, a condenser, andconduit means connecting sa d evaporator, said unit and said condenserin 010%? circuit relation, said machine compartment aving an opening inone wallthereof for admission of air thereto, an air flue along a wallof said cabinet, said flue having an air inlet communicating with theinterior of said compartment, said flue partitioning said condenser intoa portion disposed therein and another portion exteriorly of the fineand disposed in the path of air adapted to enter said compartmentthrough the opening in said one wall thereof, and said portion of saidcondenser within said flue augmenting flow of air therein to provide increased circulation of air into said compartment over said anotherportion of said condenser.

ELM'ER L. HORLACHER.

